Explosive



Patented an. an, as

UNHTESD TATE ?ATENT.FFE@E HENRY W. BUTTS, OF KENVIL, AND HUBER! H;CHAMPNEY, OF SUCCASUNNA, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS T0 HERCULES POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELA- WARE,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE No Drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in explosives and moreparticularly to an improved explosive gelatin.

Heretofore explosive gelatin has been known to possess a materialadvantage in that it is water resistant and hence may be efiectivelyused in the presence of water, as in wet bore holes. However, explosivegelatin is of high density and brisance and hence renders it undesirablefor any general use and rendering it distinctly disadvantageous for manypurposes where its use is necessitated by the presence, of water. Thus,for example, in the blasting of easily shatterable material, whereshattering is undesirable, explosive gelatin is distinctly objectionable as an explosive, though its use in such materials isfrequently necessitated due to the presence of water in bore holes.

Now, in accordance with this invention, an improved explosive is madeavailable which will be found to be highly water resistant, as isexplosive gelatin and, at the same time, of substantially less densityand brisance than is explosive gelatin, and hence will be highlyefiicient for use in the blasting of shatterable material'in thepresence of water.

The explosive in accordance with this invention comprises as essentialingredients ammonium nitrate in major proportion, carbonaceous material,which may be, for example, oat hulls, bagasse, starch, ivory meal,

' or the like, or mixtures thereof, nitrocotton,

, and nitroglycerin.

As will be understood the explosive oil acts to gelatinize thenitrocotton, and render the explosive as a whole gelatinous and waterresistant.

In many cases an oxidizing salt, as sodium nitrate, will be included andit will be understood that the nitroglycerin may be admixed withnitrosugar, nitroglycol, tetranitroglycerin," or the like. Further,dinitrotoluenemay desirably be included and will be in- 4 ,EXJPLOSIVEApplication filed-Tannery 24, 1930. Serial No. 423,259.

eluded when a mixture of nitroglycerin and tetranitroglycerin is used.The carbonaceous content of the explosive is desirably, at least inpart, composed of material which is of low density and of low absorptivecapacity inthe explosive oil.

The various ingredients may be incorpo- Y rated in the explosive invarying proportions it, however, being essential that the ammoniumnitrate beused in amount not less than 50%, though it may be used inamounts up to. 80% and that sufiicient explosive oil, as

nitroglycerin, be used to gelatinize the nitrocotton used and to renderthe explosive water resistant as a whole.

As illustrative of the ranges within which the various ingredients ofthe explosive respectively may be used, attention is called, forexample, to the following table:

Table A Nitroglycerin ms Nitrotoluene (if 7 included) NitrocottonAmmonium nitrate Sodium nitrate (if included) Carbonaceous material (forexample, oat hulls, ivory meal, ba-

gasse, starch or mixtures) 4-14 Per cent -2 6 Up to 6 0.1-0.35

. -80 p to 20 which will be highly water resistant will have Percent,Nitrogl cerin 17.0 Nitroto uene 3.0 Nitrocotton 0.2 Ammonium nitrate64.8 Sodium nitrate 8.0 Oat hulls 2.0 Ivory meal 5.0

a cartridge count of standard 1%" x 8" cartridges per fifty pounds ofexplosive, and will have desirable brisance, may be, for example,composed as shown in the following vention may be mixed in any suitablemanner, as for example, the explosive oil and nitrocotton may begelatinized and the other ingredients added, though if desirable theingredients may be mixed in other order and, it will be understood thatno special form of apparatus is required'for the mixing. The

'exploslve, while gelatinized, will be found to be only slightly stickyand may be cartridged, for example, in the usual dynamite packingmachines.

It will now be noted that in accordance with this invention a novelexplosive is provided which will have the desirable water resistance ofexplbsive gelatin, may be readily produced and cartridged, and at thesame time will be of a desirable density and brisance for blasting underconditions where the use of explosive gelatin is dictated due to thepresence of water, but where the high density and brisance of explosivegelatin is highly disadvantageous. I

What we claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is: a

, 1. An improved .explosive including the following ingredients inabout'the following proportions:

.3. An improved plastic explosive including the following ingredients inabout the following proportions :nitroglycerine 17.0%, nitrotoluene3.0%, nitrocotton 0.2%, ammonium nitrate in excess of 50% andsubstantially non-absorbent carbonaceous material.

4. An improved explosive including explosive oil about 20%,nitrocellulose about 0.2%, ammonium nitrate in excess of 50% andsubstantially non-absorbent carbonaceous material.

In testimony of which invention, we have hereunto set our hands, atKenvil, N. J on this 21st day of January, 1930.

HENRY W. BOTTS. HUBERT H. CHAMPNEY.

